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Kemptown MP calls for a debate on the importance of city centres

Simon Kirby, MP

Simon Kirby, MP for Kemptown and Peacehaven this morning asked the Leader of the House of Commons, to make time for a debate on the importance of city centres to the cultural and economic life of their communities and the importance of the police in maintaining order in such locations.

His intervention follows an increase in recent incidents in St James Street which is the heart of the city’s LGBT Quarter and Gay Village.

Simon said:

“Brighton benefits from a vibrant and diverse city centre which drives the cultural and economic life of a much wider community. It is vital to ensure the area is safe for all residents of the city and visitors who come to enjoy all that Brighton has to offer.

“There is some concern in my constituency that recent incidents in the St James’s Street area are damaging the reputation of our city, and discouraging people from visiting.

“I wanted to take this opportunity to call for a debate in the House of Commons on the contribution of our city centres and the importance of protecting them. I am hopeful that the debate will take place, as I believe it will draw attention to an area of great importance, both locally and nationally.”

Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard AGM

Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard have their AGM on Friday, November 30, in the conference room on the 5th floor of Community Base from 7.30pm-9.30pm.

You will have the opportunity to hear about what Switchboard has been doing over the last 12 months.

Hear about the services and volunteering opportunities they provide and  meet the trustees, staff and volunteers.

Folllowing the formal business there will be a networking social over cheese and wine with entertainment from singer songwriter Al Start and her acoustic band

RSVP by Monday November 12 by emailing:

brighton.admin@switchboard.org.uk

What:    AGM
Who:     Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard
Where:  Community Base, 113 Queens Road Brighton, BN1 3XG or RSVP

When:   November 30, 7.30pm-9.30pm

Local charity says HIV stigma remains a problem in Brighton

In Brighton this year, a local resident was refused a medical procedure, a person’s employers made it impossible for them to do their job, and another feels unable to be truthful about their health with their own GP, for no other reason than the fact they are living with HIV.

These are some of the stories made public by the Brighton centre of HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), in a bid to raise awareness of the unacceptably high level of stigma that persists around the condition locally.

THT is calling on people across the city to sign up for its World AIDS Day (December 1st) campaign Stand Up, Stand Out, and raise funds to combat HIV-related stigma locally.

In 2009, a national study reported that over a third of people with HIV had experienced discrimination in the previous year, whether from members of their own community, from doctors or other healthcare professionals, or even from other family members.

Fear of discrimination can have a profound effect on individuals, preventing them from being open about their condition, and inhibiting the open discussion needed to challenge society’s lack of understanding about HIV.

Sue Peters, Regional Manager for Terrence Higgins Trust in the South, said:

“Thirty years on from the beginning of the epidemic, HIV remains surrounded by a level of stigma unmatched by any other medical condition. All over the country, our centres come into contact with people who have been routinely discriminated against, hounded from the workplace, barred from venues and services, disowned by their families, attacked and sometimes seriously hurt, all because they have contracted a virus that can be easily controlled with medication. This needs to change.

“We are calling on Brighton to get behind this year’s World AIDS Day campaign, and help us make a dent in HIV-related stigma locally. You can be as loud and proud as you like, whether its taking on a sponsored challenge, holding a fundraising event, or just buying a red ribbon to show you care. The funds you raise will help us spread the message that people with HIV need support, not judgement.”

For further information on Stand Up, Stand Out, view:
Stand Up Stand Out

To get involved locally, contact THT in  Brighton on (01273) 764 200

Or email:

info.brighton@tht.org.uk

View:
MY HIV

THT’s new site for everyone living with HIV in the UK, for accredited information, self management tools, interactive web services and community forums.

Terrence Higgins Trust relies on donations to deliver a wide range of services.

To make a donation, or to find out about everything that they do view:
THT

Anger at Nick Griffen interview

Nick Griffin, MEP

Over 100 students and elected student representatives have signed an open letter to the editor of Leeds Student – an official student society of Leeds University Union – following the publication of an interview with Nick Griffin, leader of the fascist British National Party (BNP), on their website.

The letter calls for the interview to be removed from the site.

In the interview, Nick Griffin defends the fact that he has shared a platform with the Ku Klux Klan – a white supremacist organisation responsible for attacks on and lynching of Black people in the US.

In describing his views on gay people, Nick Griffin says:

“Gay people have complained for years that the rest of society hasn’t understood how they feel, and has had to make allowances, has to be tolerant. So why can’t you people simply get over it and tolerate the fact that a lot of heterosexual people – we don’t want to persecute you – but we find the sight of two men kissing creepy. That’s just a fact. What’s the problem?”.

He goes on to tell the interviewer that civil partnerships will mean that, “children will die over the next few years” because it undermines the institution of heterosexual marriage.

The BNP is a fascist organisation and Nick Griffin, their leader is a convicted Holocaust denier.

The BNP stands for the elimination of the democracy and all freedoms that the Leeds Student claims to support.

To read the open letter in full and sign it, view:
Open Letter

Hove MP receives Award

Mike with NFRN President, Alan Smith.

Mike Weatherley, the Conservative MP for Hove and Portslade, has received the National Federation of Retail Newsagents (NFRN) Fellowship award for his ongoing support to independent retailers.

Since his election to Parliament, Mike has worked closely with the NFRN, raising a number of issues that face small retailers.

One particular cause that Mike drew attention to in the House of Commons was the lack of victim support for people whose businesses are affected by crime.

The Fellowship of the NFRN is an accolade bestowed at the discretion of the organisation upon an individual who has rendered outstanding support and service to the independent retailer.

TV presenter and host Vivien Creegor, who announced Mike as the winner, said:

“As an MP [Mike] has done much to raise the importance of retail crime in Westminster and with government and recently announced an enquiry which will be conducted by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Retail Crime.”

Mike said:

“The National Federation of Retail Newsagents is a fantastic forum for independent retailers, who all too often have their voices drowned out, such as in the aftermath of the 2011 summer riots. I am honoured to receive this award and will continue to raise the important issues facing small retailers across the country.”

For more information on the NFRN, view:
NFRN

Do you want to get married in church?

All Saints at night

Have you ever watched one of those Hollywood films where the bride walks down the aisle surrounded by flowers and secretly hoped that one day that it would be your turn?

For the first time ever you can have exactly that.

In March, 2012 East Sussex County Council (ESCC) granted a civil partnership registration to All Saints Chapel in Eastbourne.

For legal reasons it is listed as Darley Hall on the ESCC web site.  All Saints is the only Chapel of it’s type to gain a registration anywhere in England.

It offers as close as you can get to a Church wedding in England.

Its half an hour from Brighton and with its many hotels and great beach front, its Sussex’s big secret.

All Saints Chapel is one of the most beautiful Chapels in the country. It’s closer to a mini cathedral but still has that warm and special feeling when you walk in. It is European in design and scale with the most detailed stained glass window designs, marble columns and high vaulted ceiling.

Both your Civil Partnership and the post-ceremony Wedding Breakfast and Party can be hosted at All Saints Chapel.

With clever use of lighting and a high quality professional BOSE sound system the Chapel can be transformed into a funky evening venue.

To add to the occasion you can either use the existing bar facility or an optic bar can be brought in to give your party that club feeling.  The choice is yours.

The couple who run All Saints Chapel, Mark and Carrie Bird, have two roles, the first is to make your dream come true by listening to your requirements and by taking the stress of organising your day away from you. The second role is breath life back into the Chapel again.

About the Chapel
Built in 1874, the Chapel has its own entrance and reception area, with Osborne and Little wallpaper and beautiful quality soft seating and antique furniture.

There is also a Library available for pre-Partnership interviews with the Registrar.

The Head Chef was trained in London by Anthony Worrall Thompson and Gordon Ramsey and is able to come up with some very inventive and unique Wedding Breakfasts to suit the theme of your wedding.

After booking, you will be invited to a menu and wine tasting session to mull over your menu choice and design. The team uses beautiful platinum crockery to compliment the image of your event. The owners also own a nearby restaurant!

The Chapel’s in-house Wedding Planner can take the stress away from the organisation of the event and produce invitations, table plans, place-cards, table designs and themed decorations of your choice.

In addition, All Saints Chapel has its own (optional) in-house florist, Ros, who can guide you through the seasonal choices available to you for button holes, bouquets, centrepieces and room décor.

A Civil Partnership in All Saints Chapel will also mean a huge choice of glamorous photographic locations for yourselves and your guests.

Next to the Beach, Helen Gardens and All Saints Park, the Chapel is also set within beautifully manicured lawns with rose bushes, French lavender and with a backdrop which is most akin to a Castle!

It is just one mile away from The Grand Hotel which is the UK’s only seafront 5* hotel.

To find out more, telephone Mark Bird on:
01323732362

Or view the web site:
All Saints Chapel

For more information, view:

List of venues registered for civil partnerships:
East Sussex

All Saints Chapel:
All Saint Chapel

Contractors appointed for eco café on ‘The Level’

Similar cafe design in Russell Square

Contractors have been appointed to build the new cafe on The Level, the city centre park which is being re-developed.

Thomas Sinden has been appointed to construct the café, which will feature an environmentally friendly green roof and other eco technologies such as low-energy lighting, solar thermal panels and an air source heat pump.

New public toilets including a Changing Places facility equipped with adult changing table, hoist and toilet for disabled people and their carers will also be installed as part of the new building.

One of Thomas Sinden’s most recent projects was building the café in the grounds of the Grade I listed Chiswick House in west London.

The Essex-based company is expected to begin work around December 3, 2012. The building is due to be finished in June 2013.

Brighton & Hove City Council, which is managing the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund-funded restoration project, expects to appoint a lessee to run the café in the New Year.

Councillor Pete West, chair of the city council’s Environment and Sustainability Committee, said:

“There is so much to look forward to with The Level restoration. The new café will be an exciting addition for residents and visitors as well as being a sustainable building that complements the environment.”

 

The major restoration of The Level is designed to give this open space in the heart of the city a new lease of life, and encourage more people of all ages to use and enjoy it.
For more information about the project, view:
The Level

The council is looking for members of the community who would like to be involved with the planned activities programme, and who will help guide the new park’s future.

To find out more, view:
Brighton Council

Festival success for Brighton Filmmaker

Liang Hu

Brighton Film School graduate and local filmmaker, Liang Hu, is celebrating the success of a short documentary film he made whilst a student at the school.

James is a touching documentary that follows the story of an old man in Brighton. It explores themes surrounding loneliness and his sexuality.

The film is being shown at several festivals around the world, including Brighton’s own film festival, Cinecity, which runs from November 15 to  December 2.

As well as being selected for Cinecity in the Short Documentary category, James is also being shown at the Spokane GLBT Film Festival in the US, and has been nominated for Best Short Film at the Merlinka International Queer Film Festival in Belgrade, Serbia and is also entered for the Short Film category at the Serile Filmului Gay International Film Festival in Romania.

On hearing about the nominations,  Liang Hu said:

“I was thrilled to have been selected by these festivals. Knowing my film has touched the judges and going to be seen by a lot of people makes me feel awarded.”

Liang also credited Brighton Film School with providing him with skills and confidence to enter the film industry.

He continued:

“Brighton Film School has great tutors and guest lecturers, who are willing to share their knowledge and experience as well as give us advice. Students also have access to up-to-date equipment and edit suite, which are used by industry professionals. I am truly grateful for what Brighton Film School has offered me.”

Liang is hopeful that another of his short films, March will gain further recognition as it is also being screened as part of the Cinecity Festival.

Liang Hu was a student at Brighton Film School in 2012 and graduated from the Cinematography and Direction Pre-Masters course which focuses on teaching high level filmmaking skills.

As well as this high-level filmmakers course, Brighton Film School also teaches the Filmmaking HNC (equivalent to 1st year of a degree) that is suitable for College graduates and those looking to gain a foothold into the industry. There are also short courses in filmmaking, acting for the screen, art direction and screen writing available for complete beginners.

Brighton Film School is accepting applications for all of these courses with start dates in January, March and September 2013.

For more information please view:
Brighton Fim School

James is being screened at The Nightingale Theatre on the December 2 at 6.00pm.

Tickets are available through Cinecity:
Cinecity

You can still apply for a proxy vote for PCC election

Although it’s too late now to apply for a postal voter, you can still register for a ‘proxy vote’. This means you can ask someone you trust to vote on your behalf for the candidate you wish to vote for.

To ensure you are eligible for a ‘proxy vote’ in the first Police and Crime Commissioner election, contact the electoral services office on 01273 291999

Or email:

Electors

Or download from: 

About My Vote

You need to return the completed and signed form to your local electoral registration office before 5pm on November 7, 2012.

The Police and Crime Commissioner elections take place on November 15, 2012.

• The candidates are:

• Tony Armstrong – UKIP

• Katy Elizabeth Bourne – The Conservative Party Candidate

• Ian Chisnall – Independent

• Godfrey Daniel – Labour Party Candidate

• David Rogers – Liberal Democrat

The Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner will replace the Sussex Police Authority. This individual will be responsible for overseeing the Chief Constable, and holding the police force to account.

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